Karnataka government clueless about TB patients in private hospitals

Though the World Health Organization mandates that all medical facilities must report and notify governments about the number of tuberculosis cases they are handling, Karnataka has no data on TB patients being treated in private hospitals.Sunitha Rao R | TNN | July 27, 2017, 12:34 IST

Representative ImageBENGALURU: Among the major hurdles faced in the battle against tuberculosis (TB) is the stigma attached to the disease, making it impossible for the official machinery to determine the total number of patients in private hospitals.

Though the World Health Organization mandates that all medical facilities must report and notify governments about the number of tuberculosis cases they are handling, Karnataka has no data on TB patients being treated in private hospitals.

The government, however, will soon issue a notification to address the issue, officials of the health and family welfare department said.

Private hospital doctors, on the other hand, say that patients suffering from tuberculosis might as well stop coming to hospital for treatment if their records are made public. While some hospitals are sharing data on TB patients with the government, some are yet to do so.

"We are not just dealing with statistics, but anxious patients," a senior pulmonologist said. "Notifying TB cases is not legally binding.TB carries a stigma with it.In many cases, the patient's family members don't even let close relatives know about the disease. It's a sensitive issue and has to be dealt with carefully," he said.

“It's crucial to share data on TB cases with the government, and we will welcome the notification,“ said Dr Vasunetra Kasargod, consultant pulmonologist, Vikram Hospital. “Of the 100 pulmonary cases that come to our OPD every month, 10 are TB cases. Skipping even a single dose of medicine can delay a patient's recovery. Hence counselling is needed for every TB patient,“ he added.

A person suffering from tuberculosis in a congested place such as a slum can potentially spread the infection to multiple people, said Dr Om Prakash, pulmonologist, St Martha's Hospital.“The most crucial and highly infectious period is the first four weeks. A patient should not go out for 2 to 4 weeks. Of every 100 chronic bronchitis cases we see, at least three have tuberculosis,“ he said.

Dr Ranjith Mohan, consultant, internal medicine and infectious diseases, Manipal Hospitals, said the notification regarding TB patients is a legal mandate but it's up to hospitals to follow it. “The problem lies with smaller clinics in rural areas where active TB follow up is non-existent. They don't adhere to the standard protocol and prescribe own medicines,“ he said

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